Method of knitting hosiery



March 29, 1927.

A. J. BEUCUS METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY Original Filed March l1, 1926` :w N SWNW, ww N QN x QR) N1 @www Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,622,857 PATENT OFFICE. a

ABRAHAM J. BEUCUS, 0F WAUPUN, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO PARAMOUNT TEXTILE MACHINERY CO., 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

METIIOD OF XHITTING HOSIERY.

Original application med Iardh 11, 1926, Serial No. 93,950. Divided and this application filed September 29, 1926. serial No. 138,551.

This invention relates to methods of and lapparatus for knitting hosiery and, more particularly, to the type thereof which includes one or more so-called anti-ravel or anti-run back rounds or courses.

The present application is a true division of that tiled by me March 11, 1926, lSerial No. 93,950, for an improvement in hosiery, and is directed to certain subject-matter fully disclosed in, but divided out of, that original case.

As set forth in said original case, the practice generally followed in knittin a4 socalled anti-revel round into the plain-work of hosiery to prevent raveling of the webA in the direction in which the knitting progresses,.is to throw every other eyllnderneedle out of action and ioat the yarn between the active needles, thus leaving a straight section of yarn between the stitches. This results in the length of yarn in that round being substantially reduced in comparison with that in adjacent rounds, with consequent loss of diametral extensibility of that round. This is a serious defect in that, by reason of the shortness of the diametral dimensions of the round and, thus, of its reduced extensibility, the fabric will frequently rupture in that round. This ractice has been followed, almost universa ly, for certain t pes of hosiery for a great many years.' o far as I am aware, no effective way has yet been suggested of avoiding this defect.

My inventive-concept, as disclosed in said original case, 4contemplates departing from the established practice and, by employing certain knitting-instrumentalities; and controlling their action, knitting int the round (in which the reduced number of needles is utilized to produce thesame) substantially the same length of yarn as in the proximate rounds, the arn beinv floated between stitches, so that t at round will be of substantially the same diametral extensibility as the other rounds and, in consequence, will not rupture when stretched, as in use.

The invention thus involves an improved method of knitting into a hosiery-article one or more anti-run back rounds, the yarn of such rounds being floated between the stitches, the anti-run back round, as well as the proximate rounds, having the same diametral extensibility.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated, diagrammatically, a section of fabric which includes rounds of knitting produced on a so-called Scott & Williams machine-exemplified, for instance, in United States Letters Patent of R. W.,Scott,

No. 1,152,850, dated September 7, 1915in` cluding the type of anti-run back round shown in Fig. 4 of United States Letters Patent of L. A. CostelloNo. 976,555, dated November 22, 1910; there also being illustrated in these drawings, diagrammatically, certain of the knitting elements employed in producing the anti-run back course. It is to be understood, however, that my method may be practiced. in conjunction with other types of hosiery knitting machines, and with other elements.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic view, showing the development of the interior of the knitting-cam-cylinder of a Scott & Williams machine and whereby a predetermined number of needles are thrown out of action for knitting the anti-run back round aforementioned;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view, showing a 'web-holderor sinker anda cylinder-needle coacting therewith to produce a round of stitches, as when all of the needles are'in action;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the relation of the parts in drawing additional yarn to produre the requisite length thereof for the anti-run back round, when half the needles are in action, to produce the required diametral extensibility in that round to correspond with that of proximate rounds, this being accomplished, in this instance, by varying the vertical relationship .between the sinker or web-holder and the needle;

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the relation of the parts for accom lishing the same result but by varying bot the radial and vertical relationship between the sinker or web-holder and the needles; and

Fig. 5 is an exaggerated, dia ammatic view illustrating a portion of fa ric which includes a non-raveling round of stitches wherein a section of the yarn is floated between stitches and with my improvementk embodied therein.

Referring to the drawings, and to Fig. 1 thereof, the reference-character 1. designates a jack and is raised thereby, when its an ordinary stationary cam-cylinder or ring of a Scott & Williams machine of the type disclosed in said Scott patent-which carries knitting-cams for coactlng wlth butts on cylinder-needles 2 and -having butts- 2a and 3, respectively-during their stitchforming operations. The needle-cylinder (not shown) is vertically movable with respect to this cam-cylinder and its cams tc vary the lengthof the stitch.

During normal round-and-round knitting wherein the full set of cylinder-needles 1n the machine is in action, all of the butts 2a and 3 of the needles 2 and 3 respectively, travel on a ledge 4 of the ring 1 in the d1- rectionof the arrow Y. p

-`Where, however, an interposed n on-ravclmg course is to be produced, certain of the needles-being, in this instance, the needle-sy 3-are thrown out of action: To that end, as

herein shown, every second needlein the series-being the needle 2-iscprov1ded witll;

engages a cam 6,.'to a relatively higher plane so that its butt 2 will pass over the top of a cam 7 and engage the upper surface 8 ofla cam 9'; thence, the butt asses under cams 10 and 11 while" its need e takes yarn and forms a new stitch, 1n the usual manner; whereupon it rises on the slope. 12 tothe ledge 4. During this operation, the needles 3,.,which have no jacks and which'are, then, not to perform knitting, are not raised above the plane of the ledge 4, but rlde thereon until they-encounter the cam 7 whlch deflects them under the cam 9 and, thence, under a cam 13 after which they join the active needles 2 and pass therewlth up the slope 12 onto the ledge 4.

1t isto be understood that, during normal or round-and-round knitting, all of the needles, 2 and 3, may be drawn to a plane, such as the knitting-line marked A in Figs. 2 and 3; and, thus, both sets of needles assume the same position with respect to the sinkers or web-holders 14. Likewise, where thc non-ravel round is to be produced, and for which every second needle (2), as here shown, is raised by its j ack, all of the needles (whether in action or not) may be drawn to the Same knitting-line A. But the needles 3, whose butts 3a have not been raised over the cam 8, retain their stitches throu h'- out: this operation, while the needles, having butts 2, have their latches lifted out of the old stitch and have fresh yarn fed to their hooks so that new stitches are formed thereby. Vhen the needles having the butts 2a pass down the active face of the stitch-cam 11, they draw the runs of the yarn extending between them down against the 'hooked ends of needles 3 which, bv the operation of thecam 7, have been caused to pass under the cam 9; that is to say, the yarn is floated between the active needles 2 and the back ravel round is of the needles and-round knitting is produced;

of the inactive needles 3. It is an invariable effect of this operation to throw the run of yarn. so held behind those needles which did not take it, this being due, in part, to the inward motion of the web-holders which begins during the stitch-forming movement and is vcompleted during the raising of theI needles at the slope 12. vIt is also an invariable effect that, because only one-halt of the number of needles are in action during the knitting of the non-ravel round, and because the same length of loop is drawn by these needles as is drawn by all of the needles during the regular round-and-round work, the length of yarn drawn in the nonlittle more than one-half as long as that drawn in the round when all are in action.Y Hence, when the fabric is under diametral extension, this round has to absorb'all of the strain and is the cause of frequent rupture of this round and forms the weakest portion-of the entire fabric,

The structure illustrated in Fig 1 is adapted to function in the mannerabove demore courses, the type of stitches shown in Fig. 4 of the aforementioned Costello patent and as explained therein and in the Scott Patent No. 1,152,850.

y my inventive-concept, I am enabled to correct the weakness above pointed out: This I accomplish by providing, in a unique way, for a variation in the relationship between the'needles and sinkers and, thus, in respect to the normal knitting-line A. -To that end, all of the needles, in knitting the non-ravel round, and whether in or out of action, may be drawn down to a plane, such as the knitting-line marked B in Figs. 2 and 3. Thereby, the reduced number of needles'in action will draw longer stitches for the anti-ravel round and suticient to secure therefor the same degree of diametral ei;- tensibility as in thel contiguous rounds.

It will be evident that were the length of yarn introduced into the anti-ravel round excessive, the contiguous rounds would be correspondingly weakened thereby, as under diametral extension they would then be required to take undue strain and they would thus form the weak point of the fabric.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated, in an exaggerated way, the fabric knit by my novel procedure: It is to be understood that rounds A, A, A are those in which all of the needles are employed; and whereby ordinary roundand that in round B, which is the anti-revel round wherein every second needle has been thrown' the yarn is floated back inactive needles, the relength of yarn has been The relation of the respect to the needle,

out of action a-nd of the proximate, quisite additional knit intov the round.

sinker or web-holder in in lknitting rounds A, A, A may (for instance) be thatshown in Fig. 2; while, in

. knitting my improved anti-ravel round B,

the yrelation of the Sinkel' or- 'web-holder in respect to the needle may.(for instance) .be

that shown in Fig.v3, or in Fig. 4, and whereby the required additional length of yarn is `drawn* by the needle. In' other words, where the needle is ositioned a greater, distance below the knitting-line A and, thus, in respect to'the active face of theJ sinker-as shown in Fig.. 3-or where the radial movement of the sinker is varied as well as the vertical movement of the needle,

i as shown in Fig. 4. the length of yarn forming the .stitches--here indicated by X-in the vB-round, plus the length floated-here' indicated by Z--b'etween stitches, should be substantially that used in making the stitches of the A-round plus the length of.

yarn floated between stitches. Of course, a certain extra length of yarn in the A-round Vwould be absorbed owing to the extra sinuousity of the yarn due to the extra number of needles employed in that round; hence,

the yarn in the B-round need not be quite as long as that in thev A-round in order to secure the same diametral extensibility in the B-round. It will be noted that, as shown in Fig. 5, in the bottom A-round the -intermediate stitclns S that have been carried over are shown as drawn longer than normal; but this is done merely to avoid confusion, it

4being `evident' that each stitch in a round must necessarily be of the same length, when there is no change made inthe position of the web-holder or sinker withl respect to the vneedle during the making of that round.

'By this disclosure, I present a new method .of knitting non-ravling fabric,`in that, in

forming a non-raveling course, I vary thev knitting relation ofthe sinkers and needles of which latter only a part are active to produce the course; that is to say, I varyl lsuch relationship to malntain a uniform diametral extensibility of the fabric.

It is to be understood that my anti-ravel round is to be distinguished from so-called lace-effects, varying gage openwork, etc., and is primarily directed 4to knitting in which the yarn is iioated back of the inactive knitting-needles to produce the type of antiravel course shown in Fig. 4 of the aforementioned Costello patent; but, in the prescnt instance, theweb of the stocking 1s of uniform gauge when not under tension, as

. by stretching; whereas, when tensioned by stretching-as when in use-there is no distortion of the fabric; that is, distortion of the stitches in the anti-revel round diminishes relatively when laced under tension, 'y as when the stocking 1s 1n use. My mventive-concept directed toknitting into :thea

body-portion of the `fabric thereof and in the leg-section an anti-ravel round, there be- A ing rounds of plai-n knitting on opposite sides of this round, these being integrally connected b ythat round, so that this round and those at each side thereof` involve a contlnuous and unbroken fabric. It is a feature of thel concept that, in the anti-revel ting instrumentalities which consists in v arying the coactive relation of these knittlng mstrumentallties during the formation of an anti-ravelin 2. The herein-described method of 'producround, there-.are a lessnumber of stitches l, r

round in which a re-` duced number of stitches is produced, whereby aumform dlametral extensibility of the fabric is secured. V

ing seamless hosieryr on a series of needlesl and web-holders, which consists in varying the coactive relation of these knitting instrumentalities and increasing' the amountof r yarn drawn in each stitch during the formatlonof an anti-ravelin round in which a reduced number of. `stutches is produced, whereb a uniform diametral. extensibility of the abric is secured.

3. The herein-described method of producing seamless hosiery on aseries of needles and web-holders, which consists in varying the coactive relation of these knitting in-` strumentalities in both a vertical and aradial `direction and increasing the amount -of yarn drawn in each stitch during the formation of an anti-raveling round in which a l reduced number of -stitches lis' produced,

whereby a uniform diametral extensibility of the fabric is secured.

4: The herein-described method of producing seamless hosiery on a series of knitting instrumentalities,` which consists in varying the coactive relation of these knitting instrumentalities and drawing a length of yarn for each stitch during thev formation of an anti-raveling round in whicha reduced number of stitches is produced to I equalize the diametral extensibility of that round with that of contiguous rounds.' e In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ABRAHAM J. BEUCUS. f 

